N213TC In a nutshell, take it serious! “Especially as a quality Meetup group, we continually get 10s and sometimes 100s of people applying to join us; but we are unpaid, including to properly & respectfully process all those apps of folks wanting to join us, which Meetup actually makes extremely hard. Still, the first reason we are quality is because, unlike most other Meetup groups, we don’t then just let in virtually every random unknown person and/or decide entrance on some leader’s current whims.”N2183N Yet still for the sometimes-many we don’t accept, their mistake is tragically so easy to correct: after Meetup starting them off, in response to their request to join us, by giving them our simple initial directions as answering basic even most-basic Qs, they did not quickly show themselves respecting & following us. So this article is how not to be one of those! -How to instead get accepted & kept, in ours and other quality Meetup groups.

N2121S If at all possible, for the application process, use a laptop/desktop, and not a mobile OS as smartphone or tablet

N2125X Meetup still has bad bugs here, especially when it comes to fixing & editing your group profile so application

N2127J on mobile OSes it’s generally a lot harder to this job: in the text your editing, to cut & paste and include URLs, plus look up links as those within questions and simultaneously keep open instructions and other stuff you likely need to refer to in composing your answers.

N2183N Especially as a quality Meetup group, we continually get 10s and sometimes 100s of people applying to join us; but we are unpaid, including to properly & respectfully process all those apps of folks wanting to join us, which Meetup actually makes extremely hard.

N219H5Still, the first reason we are quality is because, unlike most other Meetup groups, we don’t then just let in virtually every random unknown person and/or decide entrance on some leader’s current whims.

N218OM So us being unpaid to do all this work yet still enforcing good standards, we can only afford to stop & review pending members (and re-review & try to correct those who didn’t get it right the 1st time)

N20AQVquality Meetup groups, much like any quality employer, foremost need & want only members who cooperate & work well with the group,

N20AOGwhich, as far as the member’s group profile & especially application goes, means 4 top requirements, in order:

N20AM9foremost want & need only members who will follow the group especially the group leader’s directions mostly and where-not will, to the direction givers, respectfully explain why-not and ideally offer near alternatives.

N20AXX as would be implied in order to direct anything: it’s impossible to direct if regularly X is requested but Y is done and without any prompt alert & explanation.

N21EII is specially useful to us to know what of our marketing efforts are paying off & how

N21ER6 while yes in some commercial settings an applicant providing this info is optional, since here we have no registration fee and we leaders are unpaid, including in processing your and everyone’s app, we require this info as best as you can reconstruct it.

N214IEIf you don’t or might-not-appear-to fit the group’s topic coverage (as don’t seem to be involved in its specialty or are outside its service area), naturally also tell here why, despite this, you still want to be a part of us.

N21FWB For example, “On 2014.02.23Sun14~, I first heard of this group(Node-JS-OC) at http://1.JotHere.com/3999#N17IFS (the SCaLE12x OC Community Tech Groups booth); specifically there the “Orange County” and then the Node.JS banners caught my quick attention, me being in OC (Irvine) and coding NodeJS for the last year, but so far coding all alone; so after talking with booth rep Winston http://meetup.com/Node-JS-OC/members/43541422 a few minutes, I was very delighted to find you hosting such a group in my community and decided to apply to join.”

N21H2T For instance, above Winston & and a few other members volunteered many hours plus some driving and even some hotel expenses to staff our SCaLE booth and make it happen: this helps credit him & them and know it was worth it for you.

N20B40having a main group profile picture which well identifies you and just you, else well explaining on your profile why not (and potentially getting that waiver approved)

N21D4W logically: that picture is needed to tell everyone who any person showing up is by matching them with this picture, including if s/he a member and/or RSVPed and knowing all whatever is properly known about this person, especially since:

N21CLN the point (indeed requirement) of Meetup is primarily to meet in person, NOT online,

N21E15 empirically: in all my experiences on Meetup (significant, leader since 2004),

N21E2M It was really just a matter of convention: if nearly everyone was doing it, then newcomers did it no problem, otherwise people would get sloppy: so once most everyone was doing it, not a real problem for most anyone to require such.

N21DO9 In all my experiences (dozens) the contrary (of people refusing to provide such a picture), it turned out this was a tell-tale-sign, as they were overall trouble-makers (and then unsurprisingly, never had (usually never provided) and reason, besides evasion, as to why they should not have such a picture).

N21DUJ aesthetically: Meetup features members pictures everywhere, on RSVPs & on every post plus on member lists, so a group not having real faces there looks quite bad.

N21CTJ Without putting on your profile a good explanation for which we’ve seen none so far, you need to look like your picture (and your picture also should be unique to you)

N21CUJ So (semi-joking) if you put as your main picture a penguin or some logo, then you (and only you) better show up each time looking like that penguin or that logo!

N20ATC there are regularly a few more things to complete/show besides these, especially on topics specific to the group’s coverage, but for community groups, completely & accurately answering those above quickly determine who gets in.

N20BX0your maintaining it this way (accurate & complete), including updating it (say, at least once every year or two, plus within a few weeks whenever anything very relevant to the group changes for you), it a frequent determiner so requirement for you being kept in the group.

N21BZEAs part of being complete, share your Meetup interests and especially groups, else well explain on your profile why not

N20BJKcan unfortunately only be done(edited) by you, a serious Meetup bug; so even if the Head of the group wanted to fix it so it’s accurate & in the right format as based on all you’ve shared, s/he can’t, so it’s all up to you to edit your profile so app to be exactly right.

N20BL0typically cannot be well completed and especially-edited on a mobile OS (as on a smartphone or tablet) due to bugs in both the web browsers there & the Meetup app, so use a desktop/laptop.

N21AC8on at least a desktop/laptop, before you have been accepted/approved to join, even to re-edit, in your web browser (as Chrome, Firefox, etc),

N20TD4 #1: show respect, especially to the group & especially to its leaders, on your group profile

N210QAthat’s respectful, including we did (else should have) given you clear directions especially exact questions

N210QM we’re on & communicate-via Meetup, as you can see, largely due to its monopoly on local community group management, and Meetup sadly makes your not doing this (you getting everything 100% right the first time) very painful on everyone, as Meetup:

N20X05 for multi-part Qs you clearly give a full answer for every part, not just for one or some.

N20WX6 for any question you didn’t fully answer you then insure it would be very clear to most any observer why you didn’t, else what enables you not to, fully answer it, typically because in your answer you then exactly explain that

N21J7K Notably here, you can use this reply back to the leader who said to correct your profile app that you have done so (or as much as you can) and any questions remaining.

N21J4B Only for sending just sensitive info, such a personal/residential address or phone # or email or a password, and where posting can’t be made appropriately private, should you use some non-posting means of communication.

N21JIN My further attempt to readily fix Meetup so it’s great-sounding but actually terribly-supported so-often-useless option of “Membership requests require approval” can actually do the work one needs & expects that to do –that is at least until Meetup fixes its software (which hasn’t happened in these areas in at least the last 6 years).

N21K44 on Meetup well-answering profile questions seems to be not & increasing not, taken seriously, my guess is because, due these Meetup bugs, “Membership requests require approval” ends up to be an impossible amount of work to get the fixes made, so the standard drops making matters worse & creating a catch-22.

N21JBC Developed initially for first use by OCAndroid to help mass-handle(as instruct) its now huge # of pending members (now 232, more than current approved members), ~80% who don’t answer/follow the profile Qs 100%, sometimes a lot, seemingly largely because of the catch-22.

N0SF78 ~12hrs ago, especially as this point needs to be 1st but #N0QW6N is so seemingly-unavoidably {long an negative}, plan move this to its own article, then making the additional here short as quote(–click for details and especially to operate on other devices as via smartphone & tablet);

N0SEHV Title (q(As with most websites, this website is best viewed & used on a laptop or desktop!)) as a problems as "best viewed & used on" can be viewed as what would be best for the user (rather than the website) and also it repeats "website" and also "As with" (with perhaps grammatically correct) is less familiar & more stuffy, so replace with present.

N0SR31 instead of standard sized, placed title in q( style=";font-size: 133%;") as this is probably a big problem plus still too much attention to #N0SQ88

N0YHZH now replace q(Then be ready) with q(Then please be ready) as the politeness helps, including makes the transition to a negative less jarring

N0YI37 now replace q(unless you can help us) with q(unless say you can help) as sounds less desperate & more hopeful.

N0QXP6 per #N0P4H0 and source's new title, change from “content {use-terms including copyright}: ~“by default ~“properly-including-minimally copybut fullyrefer- especiallylink-to info..”” & why” to present, also using "reproducing" above "copying" per present Winter Olympics on MSNBC saying ~"Do not reproduce or transmit without written permission of...",

N0SGFW replace quote(–follow thisbefore & when reproducing any content-or-info here, including any printing or copying of it.) with present: adding "especially " plus "or quoting" plus making all links to instead of some external definition (as Wikipedia) links the point on the matter in the target doc (which also includes the def links) (well "reproducing" as that word is not (yet) mentioned); also cut spurious quote-mark.

N0W7PE title: updated with latest values and made entire a single quote with ".." in middle.

N0YHJW This currently right after #N0SFIK (about); and was thinking about moving to the bottom as it's standard to have a copyright; but since this is short very (plus standard) and very important (indeed needed now for an upcoming legal post where the recipients (insurance adjusters) might be tempted to copy; plus not-respecting copyright is very serious problem for movies and so their copyright notice placed in very front of all DVD & Blu-ray "Play film"), decide to move it as far up as possible, so right after #N0IDXM.

N0SFKJ now created & added to #M8K00L, even though that's on the topic of "Use" not general "about", as no other better spot (including links in tagline impossible) and a link to site "about" expected on every page of a website but otherwise missing, and added right after #M79S5K as that seemed to well introduce it as well as being at right detail; don't include slogans as those already mentioned in tagline and again at (below) #M7A5F8.

N1404R to present as prior name "writing conventions" doesn't other communication forms of #N0AD0Q but since that is the only exception it seemingly doesn't deserve its own section (though barely as that point is very important"

N1472X now decide to (again) place this 1st as compared to present 1st #N140QE, it's more {immediately relevant since we're reading} and (as the 1st got longer plus a bit more complex with #N143OV) shorter & sweeter

N143OV a key & simple way to achieve: for any content repeated, designate a source instance and replace all other instances with a link to this source, then on the whole resultant content (which should now be much shorter where the repeats were), repeat this process until no more replacements can be done.

N14128 from subsequent sibling changes, this now falls right after #N140QE which is okay as that & above apply to everything including this (very) important thing and are short.

N13Z7O move this (up) to 1st (in #N0BQ1C) as this feels even possibly more important than really-important top item #N0TF0C (probably so because the material IS often ready for folks to look at when they are pointed to it, but they still need to know about this reply matter); so plus is not (well not just) a #N0BQ1C"writing convention" (parent) but really a communication convention

N0SVMF some improvements, most notably replacing q(where you assume your reply will be reposted after what it replies to else within that article page (again per this site's top goal: to communicate via proper post) with just the standard redactions unless you in your reply specify something different (as the additional redactions desired for its repost).) with present as seemingly much clearer including use of {} to break up & group simultaneously-applying concepts plus adding link to the mentioned site feature and more.

N13Z3C at this history point or before, placed this right after #LG4OWH then only this morning that fell right after #N13OG4

N0ACZQ The vastly preferred method to reply is for you the replier to reply directly yourself, and via proper posting here: via a reply commenton the content being replied to else in the best matching thread (including creating a thread for your point, but only if it doesn't already exist), else via a new article which in its title-else-intro tells including links-to what it is replying to.

N0AD0Q Failing that, reply by other methods (as ideally reply in writing (as posted here except in not the best place, or posts on other sites, or via email or txt/SMS) else reply verbally (as phone calls or in-person))where you assume your reply will be reposted...

N13RU3 present version, significantly extended & clarified from q(.., typically posts here are live wiki pages -similar to Wikipedia pages- so here, frequently articles, and sometimes even comments, get updated, ideally regularly, and some have multiple authors (plus potentially owner(s) who are not the authors))

N13RNP now located as 1st item of #N0BQ1C as this indeed appears the most needing-alert-thing, as now reminded when doing removal such alert at 4250#N13QPB

N0YK11 replace q( and sometimes comments, get updated, ideally regularly, and can have multiple authors) with present more clear & accurate.

N13RJZ at creation time, since this is really important including to make the removal of #N0TG9B, wanted to place high but placed right after #M87XAJ since it's short & quick

N0TGHP now created, motivated to introduce including introduce the need for #N0TFGY, and then found this also served as an intro & parent container for #M7AUKR.

N0TFGY So among numerous benefits of a wiki, this means, on this site, creating a post including comment is lowest-stress, including since: (1) it need not be initially complete and regularly isn't, as it readily can be updated as convenient & more is known and often is, and (2) one can use additional authors to help create it, and (3) more lowest-stress reasons.

N0TFGY But this site doesn't yet automatically alert on the post itself of any additional updates to it and authors on it; so the post author(s) must maintain this info manually in the post itself and the featured (initial) date & author on a post are often just its beginning so readers must look at a post contents, generally the bottom of its text, to see how recently & frequently it's been updated & how, plus to see its additional authors & owners if any.

N0YGP6 replace q(readers must read the post, generally the bottom of it, to see how recently & frequently & how it's updated plus see any additional authors (and owners when different from the authors).) with present.

N0SI3R Replaced fr(In better posts after 2012.06~ plus a few comments & sections,) to present as much clearer plus more accurate.

M7AUTO for the version of text, see its sub-section “.. history in order:”'s last entry: the ID (at the entry's beginning) will also be the version ID, moreover if the entry ends with a date as "; pst2014.02.01Sat0806." that also tells when last edited.

M7BKAZautomatic maintenance including self-labeling {of history sub-section and version-ID & -date} is planned (for every post, comment, & section, and eventually every text snippet)

N0SHAE title fr(every post, comment, & section's history & version: ) to present (making a statement of what's done) to be in line with title of {the parent section=#N0BQ1C} and just be considerably clearer.

LG4OWHideally a special unique tiny ID on every item, as “LG4OWH” on this point. While initially a bit odd-looking so made small & tucked-to-the-side wherever possible, these are very-powerful permanent short IDs for most any item, including for any point, step, sentence, or sub-content, or function/procedure, or folder or file, or change or version, or even a physical item or a name itself, enabling it to be uniquely & permanently portably-tracked & referenced (so then also easily commented upon: just refer to it by this ID), plus creation-stamped (tellable when it was created down to the second, plus often who created and even where and in what context including sometimes why), even eventually telling the item's full history

N0SV3N replace q(this site's goal N084LL (to point & link to anything, then also enabling easy comment on it)) with present as more readable by humans.

N0YIUA until now this right after #M87XAJ(outlined) but, while an immediate curiosity of any onlooker, it's not that intrusive now that codes are IDs are typically stashed on the right and more important is point #N0TFGY so now place right after #N0TF0C.

N13O16 Every use, or at least the first recent use, of a word or phrase here which could possibly be unfamiliar to any readers (except perhaps the very rare) is to be a hyperlink, else have an adjacent link, to its definition in this context, notably to the author(s) definition else to this website's definition (web search here can usually find it) else the definition by a reputable source most notably on Wikipedia else Google Maps.

N13OPV Every reproduction and ideally derivation here should have adjacent-or-on-it a telling-of-its-source including a hyperlink-else-best-approximation to its source, including as required by copyright here.

N12O00 be sure to also read the text immediately prior to where you were pointed to, including the titles & ideally other-bold-parts of all the larger sections containing it, in order to get the context of that point.

N12NSL And to find again where you were pointed to, all you need to do is re-follow or refresh the link pointing you to here.

N0SRPB now create this as while this is definitely true for ~95% of websites, it's an extremely important feature which many seem to forget (including Lucy!) or don't yet know. Place it as 1st item of #N0SISW

N0TI8Sbest of all, dramatically better than a book or a magazine or newspaper or newsletter article or even an email or tweet --where one easily ends up saying stuff they then can't later correct, and is regularly expected well-complete plus maintain their publication even though they now may very much want and need to move to something else-- here release info & publish with the lowest possible stress:Create & save drafts (of articles) until you're ready, if ever, to share them; and even when shared, limit who can access until you're ready, if ever, to allow a wider audience. Plus, for articles AND comments: write under one or more pseudonyms , and, per wiki incremental collaborative design, eliminate the expectation it needs to be complete or all worked out on first release and, at any stage, bring in others to help you so it's not all on you; plus at all stages, even after publishing to the world, per wiki system and matching copyright controls, still have full freedom to subsequently make full even massive additions, corrections, & improvements, and in both content & who shared to!

N0SKV1The normal use of this site is ordinary folks posting their written communications here (via articles & comments) then emailing/messaging/posting to their readers the link to their post and/or having their posts found by web search.

N0SJW2On every article, click one of its categories to also see all the other articles here explicitly placed in that category or any of its sub-categories.N12VVL For every article you find here, there is a reasonable chance there are more of them on the topics listed in its categories.

N12QLV was q(The right side bar has: Search plus lists of Categories, Recent Articles/Posts, Recent Comments, top Authors & Editors (click on each to see o see his/her articles).) with improved wording including exact references to named widgets now that they've just yesterday been very-well-named plus add some more.

This right sidebar is very useful, including for browsing: see above&below its “Search” right at top plus it's many useful lists: All “..Category”N10H7P plus the sidebar's many useful content lists: “..Most Recently-Modified Articles”N10HDO & “.. Most Recently-Posted Comments”N10HID, and even “Authors..”M8AQ0E & “Editors: All & With Bio+Stats”M8AUVK plus click on each to see his/her articles! Plus more lists following those, as “Articles per Month for all History”N10VKE.

N12U7P was q(But do realize, especially as this site encourages all & every topic and by anyone, similar to say Google Docs, likewise its entry point is generally not its home page and its specialty is not random browsing, understandably per its normal use.

RSS feeds: this website offers 2 feeds (of our articles w/o comments and of our comments), but, respecting copyright here, do not use these nor share this data and/or links to it except per official written authorization from us this website's management; but dolet us know of need for this feed info and we may grant access to this.